Named after the river, which flowed near the first outbreak of Ebola that was first identified as Ebola. Reports conflict about who initially coined the name: either Karl Johnson of the American Centers for Disease Control[1] or Belgian researchers.[2]

Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola. A recent study explored the ecological variables that may contribute to bats’ propensity to harbor such zoonotic diseases by comparing them with another order of common reservoir hosts: rodents.